Four multi-purpose vehicles or ‘minivans’ battle for the Best Cat B MPV championship.
How Does ACOTY Define This Class?
Each contender must be a Multi-purpose Vehicle (MPV), also known as ‘minivan’ in North America, and sold with a Category B Certificate of Entitlement (Cat B COE). Pretty straightforward.
Meet The Contenders
Clockwise from top left are the Kia Carnival, Lexus LM, Nissan Serena and Toyota Vellfire.
The Kia Carnival looks futuristic and aggressive simultaneously. With lots of tech and creature comforts on the inside, packaging and ergonomics that are well thought out, loads of practicality and comfort and pretty good fuel economy for a vehicle it’s size, the Carnival is a great package for the family.
The Lexus LM comes into this competition with its luxury credentials ablaze. For those that demand the highest quality while moving six people, the LM goes to town with captain’s chairs and creature comforts that aim to soothe Sir or Ma’am in the middle row, sufficient but understated customization that follows the Japanese style of opulence, and ride comfort that rivals much more expensive brands.
The Nissan Serena e-Power needs no introduction because it’s relatively common sight on our roads – for good reason.
Practicality, check. Packaging, check. Spaciousness, check. It hits all the essentials on the bullseye while offering good comfort, sufficient tech integration and a unique powertrain that’s a stepping-stone to EV-dom without the accompanying range anxiety.
Want a more sporty-looking yet understated MPV? The Toyota Vellfire is right up your alley in this case. With lots of space, practicality, ride comfort and Japanese sophistication, the Vellfire lets you move the family while sipping petrol with Toyota’s famed hybrid powertrain.
Four minivans that mean business, but only one can be crowned king.
AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Cat B SUV
Kia Carnival
| Vehicle | Points Tally |
| Kia Carnival | 413 |
| Lexus LM | 347 |
| Nissan Serena | 351 |
| Toyota Vellfire | 366 |
The winner with 413 points is the Kia Carnival. The South Koreans sure know how to offer a lot of vehicle for the money, and the Carnival represents a fantastic value proposition in this group.
More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.
Congratulations to the Kia Carnival for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Best Cat B SUV!
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